Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Bothered by the Bible

One of the things that keeps me from being in the same stratosphere as many of my classmates is that I am not bothered by the Bible like they are. Let me give an example in order to explain. Nick, who is brilliant to begin with, will get bothered by something, for instance Gal 5:17. Gal 5:17 says, "For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do." This verse bothered him so much that he wrote a 7 page paper on trying to solve what was bothering him.

I don't get bothered by the Bible to the point where I am driven to write 7 page papers. I write papers because of school, and I am assigned to, not because I am bothered by something. What is it that needs to change in me so that I get bothered by the Bible and am consumed trying to figure it out?

In conversing about this with a friend, he reminded me about having four kids and a job and school, etc. "You don't have time to be bothered." But this is somewhat of a cop-out, isn't it? I want to be a minister of the word of God. That is a holy calling that should consume me. At the same time, I am called to love my wife like Christ loved the church. So which is it? To quote a cliche, "it is both/and." I don't have the time to write seven-page papers at the same rate that Nick does. But the word of God should consume me, and as a desire to have right affections for him, I should be bothered when his word doesn't make sense.

My prayer is that God would grant me the inclination of my heart to his word, and the open eyes to see wonder there, and the united heart to fear his name, and the grace to be satisfied by his word.